Left Behind
by tiffywiffyfluffykitty
Summary: Natsu breaks Lucy's heart, but accepts her offer of going on a mission with Lisanna and Happy tagging along. The mission takes an unexpected twist and things are never the same again between Lucy, Lisanna, and Natsu. Eventual NaLu so don't worry!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Natsu grinned at the beautiful short- haired Take Over mage beside him. "I can't wait to tell everyone at the guild!"

"You know how they're going to be like and you're still going to say it?" Lisanna teased.

"Why not? You're my girlfriend now, not theirs."

She blushed vermilion. "I still can't believe you love me back," she murmured. "I always thought Lucy…"

He hugged her. "Lucy's my best friend. She'll understand." He straightened with a full-blown grin. "Let's go tell everyone else!" he cheered and took her hand, dragging her towards the guild.

* * *

"You can do it, Lu-chan! Just walk right up to him and tell him!" Levy said.

"Levy-chan…" Lucy pleaded with big brown eyes. "I can't. What if he doesn't like me back?"

"Of course he will! You're beautiful and kind and cheerful. Why wouldn't he like you?"

At that moment, Natsu kicked open the guild doors and strode in, holding Lisanna's hand. "Guess what, everybody! Me and Lisanna are dating!"

Everyone gaped at them before cheering, although most of them glanced over at Lucy and murmured to the people sitting near them, "I thought Natsu liked Lucy?"

And Lucy… well, she sat next to Levy while staring at the guild's newest couple with shock. It wasn't long before the tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, Lu-chan," Levy whispered, sympathy in her eyes.

Natsu towed Lisanna over to Lucy and Levy. "Lisanna and I are dating, Luce!" he chirped happily.

Lucy smiled at him, although her smile was rather brittle as if it would snap at any minute. "Congrats! I'm so happy for you two! Anyways, I've picked out a mission and I was wondering if you would like to come with me. Lisanna's invited too, of course."

"Sure, Luce!"

"Thank you, Lucy!" The happy couple went away to Mira and Elfman, one of whom was crying with happiness while the other threatened Natsu that if he did anything to his little sister, he will pay with his life.

"Umm… Levy-chan, I'm feeling a little tired today. Do you mind if I go home first?" Lucy blinked furiously, trying to hold back the tears. The smile was long gone from her face already.

"Of course, Lu-chan. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, thank you, Levy-chan. I have to prepare for the mission tomorrow." She straightened. "Natsu! Meet me at the train station at ten tomorrow with Lisanna!"

She left as soon as he yelled back, "Ok!"

* * *

By the time she ran back to her apartment, she could barely keep the tears in. She blindly changed into her pajamas before collapsing onto her bed and drawing the covers over her head when she started sobbing her heart out, the tears never stopping.

"N-Natsu…"

She was so close to confessing, so close to telling the man she loves how she felt, but he was snatched away before she knew it and now she would never get the chance. She should've said it before Lisanna came, but it was only after Lisanna came back and Natsu had started hanging around the other mage that Lucy realized how much she had fallen for her best friend.

She cried until she had no more tears left and fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, she looked and felt like hell. There were bags under her red eyes, her hair refused to be tamed, and her mouth and tongue had a layer of slime over it that was thick and sticky. She had trouble swallowing and there was a dry spot in her throat that refused to go away like she didn't drink water for several days. She quickly fixed herself up as best as she could before dressing in comfortable sweats while she tied back her hair. She quickly packed up her clothes and books before slipping out the door at 9 in the morning to arrive at the train station.

At 10:20, Lisanna and Natsu finally reached the station.

"You're late," Lucy said, frowning.

"Sorry, Natsu took forever to wake up and then he wanted food," Lisanna sighed, elbowing her boyfriend playfully in the ribs.

"That hurts," he laughed before catching her and tickling her.

"Ahh! Natsu!" she laughed. The two of them fooled around happily in front of her, making Lucy sick to her stomach until a blue furball crashed into her chest.

"LLLUUUUUUCCCCCCYYYYYYY!" Happy cried. "I wanna come!"

"Aww, you're such a cute cat," Lucy said and gave him a piece of sashimi out of a plastic container she bought for a snack, which he eagerly devoured. By now, the couple in front of them had stopped.

"Where are we going, Lucy?" Lisanna asked.

"A group of dark mages hiding out somewhere in the north. We're going to stop them. I already bought train tickets for the three of us."

"Train…. Ride?"

"Of course." Lucy turned, Happy in one arm and her suitcase in another. "Let's go. I don't want to be late."

"Alright!"

They spent the train ride in silence, Natsu lying down with his head on Lisanna's lap and Lucy staring out the window, trying to ignore them. Happy munched on a fish he brought before curling up to sleep.

As soon as the blue cat and fire dragon slayer fell asleep, Lisanna turned to Lucy and said, "Are you alright with mine and Natsu's relationship?"

Lucy took a while to answer. On one hand, she was deeply in love with her best friend and it hurt for her to see him with someone else, but she wanted him to be happy and if he was happy with Lisanna, then so be it. There were always other fish in the sea.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just do me one favor."

"Anything."

"Make sure he's happy. Or I won't forgive you if you hurt him in any way."

Lisanna giggled. "Of course, Lucy, I just hope we can be friends."

Lucy smiled at her. It hurt to relinquish Natsu to her, but she knew a battle she couldn't win. Lisanna and Natsu have been together since childhood and it was sort of expected that they would be together. "Me too, Lisanna. But I'm a little tired now. Wake me up when we get there?"

"Of course."

She sprawled across the compartment seat and closed her eyes, feeling Happy snuggle up next to her.

* * *

**I know I should be concentrating on my current ongoing fanfictions, but this was a draft that has been around on my laptop ever since I thought of I Object and believe me, when I thought of I Object, that was a very long time ago. I finally decided to publish it :) Review what you think of this! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Whoa, this place is huge!" Lisanna gasped as they arrived at their employer's mansion.

Lucy shrugged. "Meh. It's alright."

"Oh yeah, you were rich once. Your place must've been way bigger," Lisanna said, brightening with supposed understanding.

Lucy turned away. The reason was, this place reminded her too much of her old home and it made her feel uncomfortable. She tried to shake off the feeling but it never quite went away.

Natsu was as openmouthed as Lisanna was. "They might have delicious food!"

"All you think about is food," Lucy sighed to him.

Natsu grinned at her. "Of course! I'm hungry!"

Lisanna and Lucy exchanged looks and sighed at the same time. "What?" Natsu asked, frowning.

"Nothing," the girls chorused and walked up to the ornate door knocker, which is in the shape of a strange flower with seven petals. The knocker is the stem of the flower, from which sprouted a delicate-looking leaf.

A middle-aged man wearing an immaculate butler's outfit and sporting a rather bushy gray-white moustache answered the door. "May I help you?" he asked, peering at the four of them from out of a gold-rimmed monocle.

"Yes, um, we're Fairy Tail wizards and we've come to answer your request," Lucy said politely.

"Ah, so you are the ones my master is looking for. Please come this way." He opened the door wider for them and waited until they crossed the threshold before closing and locking the door and taking the lead. "This way."

He led them down numerous white hallways edged with gold paint on the scrollwork, passing numerous rooms: one was a music room where a large black piano gleamed next to a collection of percussion instruments, another was an ornate ballroom with two huge crystal chandeliers, and even a room that housed a gigantic indoor swimming pool, complete with a network of water slides, Jacuzzi in the corner, the whole nine yards.

Lisanna and Natsu were awestruck, as was Lucy and Happy. They finally reached the solarium where a man in a dark suit was sipping a cup of coffee while reading a newspaper. He s joined by a flame-haired woman who was talking to a young brown-haired girl in a pale green dress decorated with green silk ribbons.

"Sir, the Fairy Tail wizards have arrived," the butler said, bowing respectfully. The little girl's eyes flickered over to them, seemingly awestruck.

"Thank you, Jacques," the man said, laying aside his newspaper and turning to the mages.

The little girl hopped off the couch she was sitting on and went to Lucy. "May I see your kitty?" she asked shyly.

Lucy handed Happy to her and she giggled happily, running back to her mother to show off her newfound prize. Lucy saw Happy wake up and fly out of her arms in shock, only to play around with the girl after she saw that the "little kitty" had wings.

"Please sit," the man said, gesturing at a chaise lounge that could fit the three of them comfortably. They sat and the man continued. "I have heard news that the group of mages are coming towards my manor and I want you to stop them."

"Do they pose any immediate threat to you or your family?" Lucy asked.

"No," the man admitted. "But I did hear about rumors of a mage within them who is obsessed with torture and experiments. He's known for capturing people and tormenting them. Most of them don't make it out alive. The Magic Council have been trying to capture him for a while now, but they haven't succeeded yet. If you capture him and defeat the mages, I'll raise your pay to a total of 1,000,000 Jewels instead of the original 500,000."

Natsu, Lisanna, and Lucy's eyes widened and their jaws dropped. "We'll definitely do it!" Natsu cheered.

"They're still north of us, and coming fast, although I heard they set up a temporary camp somewhere. Good luck," the man said and watched as Jacques led them out the door, Happy following in the air.

"This mission should be easy," Natsu said confidently.

"I don't like the sound of that dark mage," Lisanna said worriedly. "What if he captures one of us?"

Natsu put an arm around her shoulders. "Naw, I'll protect you." He kissed her cheek and Lisanna giggled, putting her arms around his waist.

Lucy followed behind them, feeling lost and lonely. Happy saw her and swooped down to land in her arms, giving her a reassuring pat on the arm, which she smiled gratefully for.

They went outside into the hot sunlight and headed for the thick forest, walking north towards where they'll probably run into the mages.

"You know, I think we should split up," Lucy said. "We won't be able cover a lot of ground if we go in a group."

"Good idea, Lucy! Me and Lisanna'll go this way," Natsu said cheerfully and went towards the north-east side of the forest, leaving Lucy and Happy to the north-west side. Lucy watched the couple go with a bitter taste in her mouth before spinning on her heel and marching away.

"It's ok, Lushy," Happy said, looking up at her with anxious eyes. When she didn't reply, he lapsed into a silence, flying out of her arms to search the area from the sky, leaving Lucy alone on the ground.

Big mistake.

* * *

**Idk, it think it's a little short, but it has so much meaning in it. I'm so excited for the next two or three chapters :3 even if I am the writer. Kyaaa~ if only you knew what I had planned for this story xD anyways, please review! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It wasn't until perhaps an hour later when Happy heard the scream.

"Lucy!" he cried out and dove towards the sound of her panicked voice.

The scream cut off abruptly and his heart pounded with fear. What had happened to her?

He swooped down towards the ground roughly around the area where he'd heard her. "Lucy?" he called timidly.

There was no reply and his voice rose to a wail. "Lucy!" He flew randomly towards a spot in the trees, searching, and finally found a blue ribbon lying limply on the ground, her pink pack nearby. There was no sign of the mage.

Happy began to panic. Natsu and Lisanna were a little too far away to come at a moment's notice and he couldn't leave while the trail was still fresh. Then again, the best hope of getting Lucy back was to get Natsu to trace her scent.

As if on cue, Natsu burst out of the bushes, panting. "Heard…Lucy…scream." He looked around, "Where is she?"

Happy wailed and buried his face in Natsu's chest. "Lucy screamed and now she's gone!"

Natsu rubbed Happy's head comfortingly. "We'll get her back, you'll see." He stiffened as another scream pierced the silence. "LISANNA!" he screamed and hurtled back towards his girlfriend, Happy flying close behind him.

They burst back into a sort of small glade where Natsu and Lisanna had been in, their packs strewn on the ground. There was no sign of Lisanna.

"Shit!" Natsu roared and angrily punched a nearby tree trunk, causing it to lose quite an amount of leaves, acorns, and even a poor bird's nest which Happy replaced hastily in case the parents don't attack them.

"Natsu, what do we do?" Happy whimpered.

"We go after the guy who did this and turn him into ashes," Natsu growled, cracking his knuckles, his flames bursting out of him. He sniffed the air, taking in Lisanna's scent, a hint of Lucy's scent, and a strange man's scent, and turned towards the north. "Come on, Happy!"

"Aye, sir!"

They hiked for hours, following Natsu's nose. Happy, with his magic depleted, rested on Natsu's shoulder. Occasionally, Natsu would burst into flames, a sign of his frustration and worry.

"Who are you worried about the most, Natsu?" Happy asked after another bout of flames came and went.

"Lisanna," was the terse reply.

There was a tense silence after that. "But what about Lushy?" Happy asked softly, feeling sorry for the girl.

"I'm worried about her too, but Lisanna's my mate. I should be more worried about her."

The blue Exceed was not happy at his answer. "That's not fair to Lucy."

Natsu sighed. "I know, partner, but the thing is, all I'm seeing now is Lucy's face. I should be more worried about Lisanna, but whenever I think about something happening to Luce, I get so… angry…"

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know. I love Lisanna but I'm more worried about Lucy than her. I don't know why."

_Maybe_, the Exceed thought, _this is a good sign for Lucy_. He remembered her heartbroken face and became more confident that it might be a sign of Natsu having feelings for her, even if it's a teensy tiny bit. Maybe.

"Look! There's a cave!" Natsu sniffed the air. "I smell Lisanna and Lucy!"

He was about to dash right in, but Happy stopped him. "Be careful, Natsu," he said, shivering. "I'm scared."

Natsu held his best friend close to him. "Don't worry. I'm here right?"

Even with Natsu's wide charismatic grin, Happy still felt a sense of unease.

* * *

**I can't wait to write the next chapter xD what do you think's gonna happen in that cave? Review what you think's gonna happen next and how you felt about this chapter :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Lucy woke to a numbing headache and cold dark surroundings lit only by a single wax taper standing in a pool of melted wax. "Hello? She called in a thin voice.

A moan answered her and she saw Lisanna chained to a rough stone wall. _A cave?_, Lucy wondered. She looked and saw that her own wrists are chained to the wall with black iron manacles. Most likely, they are resistant to magic.

"Lisanna!" Lucy hissed.

The other girl stirred and looked up blearily. "Lucy?"

"What happened? Where are we?"

"I-I don't know. I just know that me and Natsu heard you scream and he went off to find you and I was yelling at Natsu to be careful and then everything went black."

Lucy chewed her lip. "I remembered that there was this… thing. It jumped at me and I screamed and then something hit me from behind and I was knocked out. I don't know what it was though. I just know it's big, black, and it had these horrible-looking eyes…" she shivered with disgust and fear. "Do you think Natsu's ok?"

"Knowing Natsu, he's always ok," Lisanna said confidently, although her voice was worried.

They sat in silence, each lost in their own worried thoughts.

"What do you think they're going to do to us?" Lucy whispered.

"Hopefully nothing bad," Lisanna whispered back.

"I wouldn't know about that," a new voice spoke up and the two girls gasped and whirled around to find a tall man standing there with a dark creature with bright red eyes slinking behind him. The man had tousled dark brown hair and strange red scars on his pale arms. He wore a pale gray shirt with nondescript black pants and well- worn brown boots with black soles.

"Who are you?" Lisanna asked bravely.

"Depends on who remains." The man shrugged. "But you can call me Maxim."

"What are you going to do to us?"

"Simple: I need a test subject. But I only need one. I don't know which one to choose, but I'll let that young man decide who I can keep." Maxim stroked the head of the creature behind him as it growled.

"He's coming," Maxim said amusedly. "Well, let the show begin."

He snapped his fingers and everything went black.

* * *

Natsu cautiously stepped into the cave, Happy anxiously clinging to his shoulder.

"Natsu…," the cat whispered as they left the comfort of sunlight.

"It's ok, Happy," he soothed. There was no light, so he lit his fist on fire in an attempt to chase away the darkness. It didn't work; the darkness was like a stifling blanket, so he extinguished the flame and continued on by touch and smell, feeling more and more uncomfortable by the minute.

He then reached a fork in the road and it was there that the creature met him, growling. It somewhat looked like a wolf made of shadows, but Natsu couldn't be sure in the darkness, and it snarled at the sight of Happy, who quailed. The wolf-like thing then led them down the left tunnel where it steadily turned brighter until they came into a cavern well-lit by torches set in brackets in the walls.

Lucy and Lisanna were chained to two enormous stalagmites that shot straight up almost to the ceiling, their heads lolling forward and their eyes closed.

"Lis! Luce!" he yelled, and rushed forward, only to slam into an invisible shield.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Natsu Dragneel," a man said, coming out from behind one of the stalagmites. The wolf-thing whined and trotted over to the man. "I can't let you rescue both of them, you know."

"What did you do to them," Natsu snarled, flames spreading from his back to his arms.

"Nothing. They're just asleep. I can wake them up if you like." The man snapped his fingers and the two girls lifted their heads, blinking sleepily.

"Natsu!" Lisanna cried happily, seeing her boyfriend.

Lucy looked at him and smiled wanly. "Natsu."

"Lushy!" Happy said happily.

"My name is Maxim," the man said. "I have decided that one of these two ladies would help me in my experiments. You will have the opportunity to choose who remains behind with me."

"The hell with that," Natsu said. "They're both coming back with me."

"And how will you do that? The only way for you to get through the barrier is if you have made a decision to save one of the girls. Any tricks and you will be repelled. Any attempt to attack me and you will be repelled. How then, can you save both of them?"

Natsu growled with frustration as Lucy and Lisanna watched anxiously.

"Have you made your decision yet?" Maxim asked.

The dragon slayer whipped his head in furious denial. "I'm not leaving one of my nakama behind."

"I'm growing impatient," Maxim said and snapped his fingers once again. The girls suddenly screamed as hidden lacrima in the manacles activated, sending millions of electric shocks through their bodies, making them scream and writhe as the blue-white volts crackled around them. "Make your choice."

"NATSU!" Lisanna screamed, blue eyes begging.

"NATSU!" Lucy shrieked, her body twisting in an attempt to wrench herself from the chains.

He howled with indecision. "Stop hurting them!"

"I'll stop when you've made your choice." Maxim gestured and the electric bolts increased, making them scream more than ever.

"Stop it!" Happy yelled and hurled himself at the barrier. Of course, it didn't work and he bounced back, dizzy. "Natsu… save them…"

"I DON'T KNOW WHO TO SAVE!" Natsu roared.

"Well, let me make this easier for you: who do you love more?" Maxim asked, moving closer to Natsu.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you have a girlfriend… but what about your best friend who harbors a secret love for you? It's sad, how that day she was going to tell you how she felt, only to get shot down before she even had a chance. But then again, you can always save the one you feel you love."

"Who are you talking about?" Natsu scowled and Maxim sighed.

"Do I have to spell everything out for you?" he demanded. "Never mind, you're too stupid to know. Just pick a girl. But I'm warning you: to pick one would break the heart of the other. For one of them, her heart would be twice broken if you picked the other."

"NATSU! HELP ME!" Lisanna and Lucy howled at the same time.

He snapped and surged forward, breaking through the barrier and tearing past Maxim, who smirked.

The girls stopped screaming, watching with wide eyes as Natsu reached forward…

…and grabbed Lisanna.

The bolts stopped, but the ground began to rumble as trickles of dust began to fall from the ceiling. Natsu ripped off the chains and threw her over his shoulder before running back and picking up Happy and sprinting out of the cavern as chunks of rock rained down.

Lucy watched him go, stunned and numb. Maxim was right: her heart was broken twice as soon as she watched Natsu veer to the right to get to Lisanna. She slumped, not caring if the roof collapsed over her head.

Maxim turned to Lucy, a warm, delighted smile on his face. "We're going to have so much fun together." At his feet, the wolf-thing growled as if in affirmation.

The lights went out.

The cavern collapsed.

She screamed.

* * *

**Sorry for the very very long wait I got sick and I couldn't do anything for a while. I'll be updating the rest soon! Please review and again, I'm very sorry for the long wait.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was evening of the next day when Natsu, Lisanna, and Happy staggered back to Fairy Tail: Natsu, silent and angry, Happy, depressed and teary, Lisanna, quiet and guilty.

"Welcome back," Mia said cheerily. She looked around. "Where's Lucy?"

Lisanna and Happy simultaneously burst into sobs. Natsu stood where he was, but flames began to crawl up his arms and legs.

Alarmed, the rest of the guild crowded around the girl and the cat, trying to avoid being roasted by the flaming boy.

"What happened to Lu-chan?" Levy demanded, shoving aside the others to stand before Lisanna.

Hesitatingly, with many sobs, Lisanna told the guild what happened. "And when we l-left… the roof… f-fell…" She and Happy wailed and cried harder than ever.

Natsu bellowed and punched a flaming hole in the wall of the guild. "S"

"Enough, Natsu!" Erza yelled, but he didn't listen.

Growling, he stalked outside, where they could hear the sounds of him rampaging.

"We'll stop him," Gray said, grabbing Juvia and Gajeel. They ran out, yelling at Natsu.

Mira and Wendy led Lisanna and Happy to the infirmary for some sleep and time to calm down while the rest sat back down, muttering amongst themselves or looking depressed. Cana ordered another barrel of beer and managed to convince Macao and Wakaba to join her.

Several of them watched as Gray and Gajeel wrestled Natsu to the ground as Juvia doused the buildings and trees that caught on fire. "Stop it, Flame Brain!" Gray roared at Natsu. "Doing this doesn't help Lucy at all you know."

Natsu snarled and tried to throw the two of them off, but they weren't relenting their postures.

"Get over it, Salamander! Bunny-girl might not be dead you know! She's gonna come back!" Gajeel roared into Natsu's ear and the boy began to quiet down.

"Natsu-san." Wendy trotted out with Carla at her heels. "You should rest." She placed her tiny hands on his forehead and he closed his eyes, dropping into unconsciousness.

"Damn, Salamander must've loved Bunny-girl so much and he never knew," Gajeel muttered.

Wendy nodded unhappily. "Poor Natsu-san and Lucy-san…"

* * *

After that day, Natsu and Lisanna suffered guilt and depression and decided to break off their relationship. Natsu tended to go into rage and guilt-induced fits that consisted of mainly destroying and burning. He was also seen to be attempting to hurt himself until Erza stopped him. Lisanna recovered more than Natsu or Happy, but could be seen crying with Levy and Mira sometimes when the guild fell into a dark depression whenever someone mentions Lucy.

It is on those occasions that Natsu mysteriously disappears somewhere, but Gray and Erza found that he would escape to Lucy's apartment to cry quietly to himself, her pillow clutched to his face to muffle the sounds of his crying.

As such, a year passed until next spring when a young and unnaturally thin woman staggered up to the guild doors.

* * *

**It's short, but I couldn't resist after seeing how many people liked this fanfiction! Review please! xD**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It was another quiet day at the guild. Natsu lay slumped over at Lucy's usual seat. Lisanna was quietly serving drinks to several other sullen members.

"It's almost one year and the two of them are still depressed," Erza said to Gray.

"I don't know how they're going to snap out of it. That idiot doesn't even fight anymore. It's like he's given up on life at the moment."

Erza sighed and shook her head. "At this rate, he might never recover."

"I don't think he's realized that he's in love with Lucy either."

They sat in silence. "He really is dense," Gray said finally.

"I agree."

* * *

Another day passed, then a week, then a month. But strangely, there was a odd sense of anticipation that caused many to brighten up, making life return to the guild. Even Natsu perked up, although slightly.

"Things are finally starting to look up, Mira-nee," Lisanna said one day.

Mira nodded happily. "It's good to see you so happy, Lisanna. After you and Natsu broke up…" She sighed and shook her head, walking away.

Lisanna bit her lip. It was true that after she cut off their relationship due to guilt, Natsu and her were always more awkward together, especially when she can see that Natsu seemingly is in love with Lucy now. She'd always known even during her one month relationship with Natsu, but now, she had no regrets except for the fact that they seemed to be avoiding each other.

"Lisanna! Another round!" Cana called.

"Cana! You already drank through your fifth barrel!"

"Tch, I don't care. Gimme more!"

"We ran out."

"Liar!"

Then Natsu stood and everyone stopped as his eyes widened and he hurtled towards the door. He threw it open and everyone gasped with shock.

It was Lucy.

She was staring out with wide shining brown eyes, a happy smile on her face. She was unnaturally thin and her skin stretched over her bones in a way that made them shudder to see, but she was alive.

And she was back.

"Lucy…," Natsu whispered, his voice cracking.

Then she turned her eyes to Natsu and her gaze became bewildered. Her mouth opened.

"Who are you?"

A second later, her expression turned to one of extreme fury, sadness, and a horrifying confusion.

"I HATE YOU!" she screamed, and lunged at his face.

* * *

"How is she?" Erza asked worriedly.

Porlyuscia sighed. "Critical. She's malnourished and a great number of toxins and poisons have been forcefully injected into her body followed by antidotes so she's not in danger of losing her life."

"But what about what happened to Natsu-san?" Wendy asked in a small voice.

Everyone winced as they thought of what happened.

It had taken six people to pry Lucy off Natsu , who had been so shocked that he didn't even try to defend himself, resulting in him having severe scratches on his face and bruised ribs. Mira had then put Lucy to sleep with a spell and she, Erza, Wendy, and Levy had taken Lucy to Porlyuscia. Natsu had curled into a corner of the guild and started crying while Lisanna tried to comfort him.

Porlyuscia sighed. "It may be a psychological problem. You did say that he chosen to leave her behind so she may be feeling betrayed and hurt. It's a deep emotional wound. Her torturer may have done something to her so that she may forget him and hate him. There's a number of possibilities."

"I think it's a psychological issue," Levy said, consulting one of the books in Porlyuscia's cabin. "Lu-chan was in love with Natsu and to have her heart broken twice… as well as the torture he made her go through, it may have taken a toll on her sanity."

"The question is: will she ever get better," Erza said.

"No one knows. But on the bright side, I don't think Lu-chan forgot anyone else." Levy replaced the book and returned to the sickbed.

"What about Lisanna?" Mira asked. "She may feel resentment towards her."

"I don't know," Porlyuscia said. "I won't be able to know until she wakes up."

* * *

**Sorry for the shortness and how bad it was written. I was kinda in a rush to finish and I'm working on a lot of stuff at once so I was busy. Review please! :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It was late the next day when Lucy woke. The sunlight slanted low in the room and touched upon Levy, who napped in a chair with a thick leather volume open in her lap and her feet resting upon another stack of books.

Lucy cleared her throat slightly. "Hello?"

Levy instantly woke. "Lu-chan! You're awake!" She rushed to Lucy's side, forgetting that she had a book resting on her legs. "Oh no, that was a rare book that Porlyusica lent me… Whatever."

She helped the bedridden girl sit up and pressed a mug of some sort of fragrant herbal tea into her hand. While Lucy sipped at the liquid, Levy hung around anxiously.

"Do you have a question?" Lucy asked.

"Do you remember me?" Levy burst out.

Surprised, Lucy replied, "Of course I do! You and Erza and Gray and Cana and Mira and Happy and Wendy and everyone else!"

"Then…," Levy asked cautiously. "Do you remember Natsu?"

Lucy's expression darkened. "I don't know who he is, but somehow, I feel that I hate him and… I feel so sad…" Her expression turned wistful and lonely and tears sprung to Levy's eyes.

"What about Lisanna? Do you remember everything that happened in the mission?"

Lucy thought. "I remember the mission. I remember Lisanna was so scared and then there was darkness and light and… something I can't remember but I felt so sad about it." She turned to her best friend. "How's Lisanna? Is she alright? I remember she was hurt."

"She's fine. You don't hate her?"

Lucy frowned quizzically. "Why would I? She's my friend."

"Uhh…" Levy was at a loss for words. "I guess I better tell you what happened…"

As she recounted the story, Lucy's face changed from confusion to horror and sadness. "I remember what Maxim did to me," she whispered. "But I don't remember Natsu at all. Ugh! Just saying his name makes me furious." Her eyes snapped to Levy. "What is he to me?"

"He was your best friend," Erza said, coming in. "And he was the one you loved." She gave a brief summary of who Natsu was and what she and him are to each other.

"Then why do I hate him?" Lucy demanded. She shook her head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm never going near him again."

"Lucy…" Erza crouched by her bed. "You need to forgive and remember Natsu. Otherwise, he won't ever go back to the way he was."

"I don't care! I don't even know him! He's a stranger!"

"And you are the only one who can make this stranger happy again! Listen to yourself, Lucy. This isn't like you. You who would never let someone be upset because of you. Stop being so selfish!" Erza said sharply. "I know you hate him but at least try to make him happy again, even if you have to lie!"

Lucy glared at her. "You care about him more than you care about me. I don't know why you want to force me to do something I can't. Call me selfish all you want, I refuse to help you."

Levy came to her side. "It's alright, Lu-chan. No one's forcing you to do anything."

Erza threw her an angry look. "Don't you understand that the only way to cure her is to get her and Natsu together?" she whispered furiously.

"I don't think we should force them together. Let it take time, nudge them the right way, but don't interfere," Levy murmured back. "Tell that to Mira and the rest of the guild, but not Natsu."

Erza nodded and stood, leaving the room. Lucy watched her suspiciously before turning back to Levy. "I don't know why I'm like this, but I want to know: will I attack Natsu again the next time I see him?"

"We don't know yet," Levy said honestly. "The last time you saw him was yesterday." She glanced out the window at the dying sun. "And just in time for dinner too. Can you stand, Lu-chan?"

She shook her head. "Where am I?" she suddenly realized.

"You're in Porlyusica's cabin," Mira said, coming in. She carried a breakfast try laden with a bowl of thick chicken soup and two slices of buttered toast. "I thought you might want something easy to eat for your first meal."

"Thanks, Mira," Lucy said gratefully. "That looks amazing." Her stomach rumbled and the three girls laughed.

Lucy picked up the spoon and ate, not stopping as her stomach called for more food. Mira gave her seconds after she finished and peeled her an orange after her meal.

"When am I going back?" Lucy asked.

"Where?"

"Fairy Tail."

Mira stopped peeling. "Physically, you're ready to go back. Mentally… we don't think you can handle the stress."

"What do you mean?" Lucy demanded.

"Well… Natsu is there all the time and we don't want you to go ballistic when you see him like last time."

"Oh."

Mira nodded, relieved that she understood. "But we think you can go back the day after next."

Lucy shook her head. "I don't want to stay. I want to know what's wrong with me and to do that, I need to face him."

"What if you lose your head again?"

Lucy thought. "I don't know."

* * *

**Next chapter is here~ sorry for the wait :) Review please!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Are you ready, Lu-chan?" Levy asked as she, Lucy, and Erza stood in front of Fairy Tail's front doors.

Lucy took a deep breath to calm herself. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Erza nodded and pushed open the doors. As she did, Lucy was suddenly overwhelmed by the earsplitting noise that blasted her.

"WELCOME HOME LUCY!"

Everybody in Fairy Tail cheered at the top of their lungs as Lucy smiled joyfully and walked into the building. Confetti rained down and she looked up to see the three Exceeds flying around loosing the colored paper from big burlap sacks.

They sat Lucy down before a large table and began shoving gifts and cards into her arms, urging her to open them. She laughed and obeyed.

Levy gave her a set of writing utensils in a brass-bound wooden box carved with Fairy Tail's insignia. Wendy gave her a handmade card decorated with gold stars. Gray gave her a set of ice sculptures in the shape of all her Celestial Spirits and next was Juvia, who gave Lucy a collection of dolls of Team Natsu, although she left out the Natsu doll and promised to give Lucy the entire set later. Gajeel pushed a metal bunny charm strung on a black cord into her hand and Elfman put forth a crumpled card about manliness. Cana gave her a free tarot reading, Happy gave her fish, Carla gave her a box Darjeeling teabags, and Pantherlily gave her kiwis. Laxus ruffled her hair and flicked her forehead and mumbled that she should be careful in the future in a display of tough love and the Raijinshuu produced forth a card they made. Erza presented her with an intricately decorated strawberry cake and Lisanna, with a little shyness and hesitation, gave Lucy a charm bracelet with all the zodiac signs on it in twelve different colors.

Lucy fingered the orange Leo sign on her wrist and smiled at Lisanna. "It's beautiful. Thank you." And she gave the shocked girl a warm hug, causing everyone to cheer loudly again.

Loke pops out of thin air, accompanied by Aries, Capricorn, and Virgo. "Princess, come join me in a night of romance as my present to you for returning to us."

Lucy pushed him away playfully, laughing delightedly. "It's good to see you too."

Aries shyly gave her an enormous blue card trimmed with gold. "It's the best we can do, I'm sorry."

Lucy hugged her. "It's beautiful, thank you."

The Spirits laughed and congratulated her on her recovery before going back to the Spirit World, leaving a very happy Lucy behind.

Mira came out with platters of food and Makarov leapt onstage. He only said one word:

"PARTY!"

Everyone shouted in affirmation and snatched up their cups, clamoring for beer and food. Cana squirreled away five barrels and sat on top of them, claiming them for herself as nearby, people complained, but acquiesced under her fierce drunken gaze. Lucy was pulled into the midst of things and somehow (Gray punched Elfman in the face and one of Elfman's flailing arms hit Gajeel while his foot kicked Erza's cake out of her hands) the party soon turned into a full-blown fight.

Makarov watched with satisfaction, seeing Lucy's smiling face, but he turned and went to a hidden corridor leading to the kitchens behind the bar where he found Natsu, staring out to into the party, his eyes trained on Lucy, who was laughing and talking with Lisanna and Levy in a safe corner from the fight.

"Are you sure you don't want to join in?" Makarov asked quietly.

Natsu shook his head sadly. "She hates me. It's just going to make it worse." He held out a small paper package to Makarov. "Give this to Lucy for me." He turned and left, his head bowed.

Makarov stared quizzically down at the plain little package in his hand. It wasn't taped, but he did not open it, respecting Natsu's privacy. Taking a breath, he stepped into the fray, dodging flying bodies and furniture to stand before Lucy.

"Master!" she said, surprised.

Makarov contemplated, and decided she was better off not knowing. He held out the package. "This is from somebody who cares about you very much and welcomes you home."

"Who is it from?" Lucy asked, taking it.

There was a pause. "Oh… just an old friend," he said cheerily, with a slightly forced smile. "Enjoy it, whatever it is."

Lucy thanked him and turned back to her conversation. The package never left her hands since.

* * *

Hours later, when everyone was asleep, only Lucy was awake. She smiled at them and quietly, as to not disturb anyone, opened the package.

It was a little black velvet box. She gasped and opened it to reveal a small pink diamond heart the size of her pinky nail outlined in gold and set on a thin gold chain. The band around the diamond read, "_To Luce."_ in tiny letters. The entire thing must've cost a fortune due to the size and unique coloring of the diamond as well as the price of the gold. It was simple, beautiful, and Lucy loved it tremendously. She smiled with delight and immediately put it on. It fit perfectly, falling to the middle of her chest a little above her breasts. She put the box back in the package and lied down next to Levy and Happy, who snuggled into her, his ears brushing her chin.

She fell asleep clutching the pendant.

* * *

In the shadows, Natsu watched her sleep and he smiled, happy that she liked his gift, but his smiled dimmed, knowing that she can never know who it was from and that even if she liked the necklace, she would still hate whoever gave her it.

He thought some more of the diamond. He had spent hours looking through every jewelry shop in town as soon as he'd caught wind of a party and presents in honor of Lucy's homecoming. It was at the last shop in town when he'd found it and he knew it was perfect. The diamond was the same color of his hair and if one looked closely, they could see a tinge of red deep in the heart of it, which reminded him of his fire. He almost fainted at the price of it, but decided to buy it, wiping out all of his food money and quite a bit of his savings as well, but it was worth it, seeing her smile so merrily.

Natsu waited until she was truly asleep until he crept over to her and stood by her side before crouching down to stare at her beautiful, sleeping face.

It was relaxed and peaceful, so different from the last time she saw him and he wished that she could look at him with happiness again soon.

As if on cue, a shooting star streaked across the sky.

"Night, Luce," he whispered and leaned down to brush a feather-light kiss on her cheek before quietly stepping away, looking back on her occasionally.

From an unseen corner high in the rafters, a pair of glowing red eyes watched his every move until he disappeared. Then it growled quietly and disappeared, melting into the shadows.

* * *

**I'm back~! lol vacation was fun but now... almost time for school T.T Hope you enjoy and review please :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The next day was much more tranquil the first. Everyone noticed her new necklace and complimented her on it. Lucy was pleased: she would've been insulted if they didn't see it.

She, Levy, and Erza sat at a table together. Levy was reading a book as Erza ate her strawberry cake while Lucy sipped a vanilla milkshake. The three of them were talking casually, filling Lucy in on what she missed while she was away. After a while, Lisanna tentatively joined them and was instantly made welcome by Lucy, who gave her a side hug and a warm smile.

The four girls talked some more until Mira called for Lisanna to help in the kitchen and Levy went to join Gajeel, who was taking her out on a date.

"So, how's Jellal?" Lucy asked, turning to Erza and finishing her milkshake.

"He's doing well," the older girl said, blushing lightly. "He's been—"

At that moment, the doors pushed open and Natsu strode in with the sun streaming in behind him and illuminating his pink hair. He looked strong, powerful, and incredibly handsome.

And Lucy hated him.

She could feel it coursing through her veins like poison. Without thinking, she stood and rushed at him with a cry of anger, her face a mask of fury. She raised her arm to slap him, but he caught her wrist and pinned it down by her side. He did the same with her other hand and turned and pinned her to the wall as she struggled.

"Luce, Lucy, listen to me," he shouted urgently, but the sound of his voice only enraged her further.

"Let go of me! I hate you!" she screamed in his face and he seemed to droop and let Gray, Elfman, and Laxus pull him away from her.

She shivered with disgust and slumped to the floor as Erza, Mira, Lisanna, Wendy, and Juvia hovered over her anxiously.

"Lucy, are you alright?" Mira said and was alarmed to see tears trickle out of her eyes.

"He touched me," she mumbled and started rubbing at her wrists, scratching them furiously as if to erase any traces of Natsu's touch on her skin. Lisanna pulled her hands away as soon as she noticed that Lucy was scratching her arms so hard they began to bleed and Wendy healed them with a soft touch of her hands.

"Don't worry, Lucy," Erza said softly as she helped her friend up and out the door. "I promise he won't touch you again."

"Let's get her home, Mira-nee," Lisanna said and the two of them followed along with Wendy and Juvia.

All throughout this, Natsu had been watching the girls after he'd been hauled away, horrified as he saw that Lucy had cried and made herself bleed.

"What did you do that for, idiot?" Gray asked, although not angrily.

"I don't know. I just wanted…" Natsu trailed off as tears began to flood down his cheeks once again. He slumped and crouched on the ground, clutching his hair as he sobbed. "Uhhh… Lucy…"

The rest of the guild members watched on with heavy hearts as the dragon slayer cried, his sobs echoing within the guild.

* * *

In Lucy's apartment, the girl had taken a thorough shower and now sat on her bed, Happy on her lap as she stroked him. Erza sat next to her, as did Lisanna while Juvia, Wendy, and Mira sat on chairs.

"How are you feeling, Lucy?" Lisanna asked anxiously.

"I'm ok now," she replied, although she still lightly shook her wrists sometimes.

"Are you sure, Lushy? Happy asked anxiously.

She smiled reassuringly and he breathed a sigh of relief, flying out of her arms to join Plue, who was at her table eating snacks.

There was a pop and Loke burst out. "Princess! I sensed that you were hurt," he said anxiously, grabbing her hands and holding them up so that he could examine her wrists.

"I'm fine, Loke," she said, but her Spirit's posture didn't relax.

"I shouldn't have let Natsu approach you," he said morosely and Lucy gently withdrew her hands to touch his arm gently.

"I'm ok now and I'll deal with Natsu myself. Go back and tell the others I'm ok," she said gently and he nodded and disappeared again.

"You need all the support you can get, Lucy," Mira said softly. "Just know that we're all with you on this."

Lucy smiled and nodded. "Right!"

Erza glowered. "If he shows up at the guild anymore, I'll beat him up."

Lisanna shook her head. "No, Natsu has every right to go to the guild if he wants. Don't forget, Lucy was the one who attacked him and he didn't do anything except defend himself."

They all looked at Lucy, who jerked her chin up. "I can't help it if I get mad at him every time I see him. You forget that he was the one who left me to be tortured."

"I know that, Lucy, but today, you were the one at fault," Lisanna said softly. "If you refrain from attacking him, you might get better in time."

Lucy sighed irritably. "Fine. Erza, you can help hold me back. What I did before, I don't know… my body just moved on its own."

"Juvia thinks that it was because Lucy's mind was too clouded with rage to think about what she was doing and acted instinctively," Juvia said calmly.

Lucy snorted. "Well, however I did it, I'm still nowhere close to forgiving Natsu."

"We'll work on it," Mira said, her blue eyes blazing. "We'll get your memories back and you two will be friends again. You'll see."

As she spoke, a memory suddenly whirled up:

_Natsu, his dark eyes soft with love as he looked upon Lisanna and a searing pain that burned her heart so violently that tears sprang to her eyes. _

_Natsu didn't love her… he only saw her as a friend. _

_He doesn't love her._

Lucy gasped loudly, feeling the pain in her chest before her eyes rolled up and she collapsed off the bed and onto the ground in a dead faint.

* * *

**Writer's block sucks and I'm getting it waaay too often lately -.- But anyways, how do you like this chapter? :3 And for anyone who also read My Choice To Make, nobody has reviewed on Chapter 6 so I'm feeling sad. If any of you are so kind as to drop a review that would be greatly appreciated :D Please review for this chapter as well!**


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